It's a stark dilemma — you want an iMac, but don't want to switch to an Apple. There are PCs that are just as hot, of course, but often you'll be paying as much if not more for your trouble. Good thing you can pick up the MSI Crystal 945 PC for about $800 online, which crams an Intel Pentium 4 processor into a pretty slick-looking 17-inch display. This machine isn't exactly a powerhouse, though — MSI's site even describes it as "barebones" — coming with a processor speed of 1 GHz and pretty limited RAM (although it's expandable to 2 GB). Wi-Fi is optional, as is a seven-in-one flash-card reader. It doesn't say how big the hard drive is, but I'm guessing your iPod will probably give it a run for its money. Still, you get built-in speakers… that's something, right? — Peter Pachal

MSI, via Shiny Shiny